Long time no blog

I realized the other day that I hadn't blogged in forever. I never mean not to blog but I get busy with life an forget. I think of something I want to write about bit then I realize that I don't have time that moment and I seem never to come back to it.

I spent this weekend at a drum training and just had a blast. I learned about frame drums, hand drums and other auxiliary instruments. I found that I was especially interested interested in the tambourine (pandiero). I was told to search for lessons on you tube and have already been rewarded with some minor skills in that area. I had no idea tambourine could be so much fun.

I can hardly wait to take level two and then later level three. Bill Matney and Mike Marcionetti have done such a great job on their curriculum.

Sent from my iPhone

Devil Woman

One of my clients keeps asking me for the song Devil Woman. Since I have had great success getting him to talk more and even sing a little singing songs like Proud Mary, I decided to add Devil Woman to my repertoire.  Maggie and I were dancing and carrying on to the song.  And just in case he was actually asking for Evil Woman, I printed out the words to that too. I figure it will make him very happy.

I have a new client who likes Motown, so I am being stretched musically. This is a good thing in my mind. It's fun to learn new music. 

Dusting this space off

I have recently started a fan page on Facebook and decided it was time to dust this space off. Since I do both music and massage therapy, I thought I would use this space to talk about techniques and interesting work that I do, and invite comments and suggestions from others.  Please join me.

If I ruled the World

With the election looming, I had wondered how to incorporate the topic into group appropriately without stating my political point of view, but allowing the residents at the facility to state theirs if they wanted. I had read some ideas on a list I'm on, but then I had a flash of genius: If I Ruled the World...This is a song that Joe Pinson used to sing to the residents at Denton State School and I loved this song. So, I can sing this song to the residents as it is...and then have them tell me what they would do if they ruled the world which could equal being president...anyway, it sounds like it might be fun. I'll see what happens.

Stump the Therapist

I just bought a book called The Ultimate Fake Book. It has 1200 songs in it. Theoretically it should have every song I want to sing with the residents. I already know that it doesn't because I looked through it when I got it, but I thought it would be fun to play a game of Stump the Therapist. I figured I would get them to give me songs and we'd look it up in the book to see if it's there. IF it's not, I'll make a list of those songs to look for them in other books. If it is there we'll sing it. I'm bringing my keyboard so I can play songs I don't know. I don't know if it's going to work or not, but it seemed like a fun thing to do.

Songs about Food

here is a list I found about food songs

http://www.mixedup.com/foodsongs.htm

Social Wellness group for Healthy Aging Month

Today I had the residents list 5 things that they do to keep themselves Socially Well. I asked them things that they do to be social.

They gave me these five things:
1) Playing bingo/Cards
2) Going out to Eat
3) Going to Daily Devotional
4) Going Shopping
5) Going on a Date

I tried to come up with songs to fit each category.

So far this is what I have:
1) the song Bingo for Bingo (weak, but I need to think on this a bit
2) The Song Jambalaya for the going out to eat...will find more songs for tomorrow's group
3) All number of reglious songs for the Daily Devotional (their favorite category)
4) the songs Five Foot Two and Sweet Little Alice Blue Gown for clothes shopping and fashion. Other song ideas for this one include Easter parade, Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini; All God's Children Got Shoes; Second Hand Rose
5) Hey good Lookin'; Daisy Daisy